ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rule — a law
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. court — of law
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rule — government
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. branch — a division
  13. bound — certain
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bark — to shout
  21. court — of a king
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bark — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com